The purpose of this nursing study in Black American women with NIDDM is to test the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive diabetes care and patient education intervention designed to empower Black American women with knowledge and skills necessary to assume self-management and ameliorate diabetes. Twenty-seven obese black women age 36 to 60, with an average 5.4 year duration of diabetes volunteered to participate. The majority (73%) reported taking only oral hypoglycemic agents despite poor control. After baseline screening, participants were taught to self monitor, given meter and supplies, and were scheduled for monthly care visits with a Nurse Practitioner for 6 months and for bimonthly group education for 3 months. Findings suggest that a culturally sensitive intervention of Nurse Practitioner diabetes care and education is beneficial, resulting in program attendance, kept appointments, improved metabolic control and possibly better adjustment to diabetes.